This invention relates in general to medical laboratory equipment, and in particular to a device for dissociating biological tissue.
In the fields of medicine and biological research, it is often necessary to dissociate a biological tissue into a single cell suspension. For example, an individualized cancer vaccine can be produced using a cancer patient's own tumor cells. An initial step of the vaccine process is to dissociate a tumor removed from the patient into a single cell suspension. A variety of physical and chemical dissociation methods are known, including cutting, scraping, mincing, or perfusing the tissue, and digestion with enzymes or nonenzymatic solutions. There is still a need for a tissue dissociation device for reducing tissue to a single cell suspension while maintaining cell viability and sterility of the sample, especially one that may work without the need for enzymes.
Various tissue dissociation devices are known in the art. For example, Hakki et al., “Nicotine Inhibition of Apoptosis in Murine Immune Cells”, Experimental Biology and Medicine 226:947-953 (2001), discloses that spleen or thymus tissue was surgically removed and placed in a sterile plastic bag containing 10 ml of balanced salt solution. The bag was placed in a Stomacher 80 Lab Blender for 10 seconds to disrupt the tissue into a single cell suspension. The blender has paddles that beat against the bag to disrupt the tissue.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,786,207 to Katz et al., issued Jul. 28, 1998, discloses a device for dissociating tissue into a single cell suspension. The tissue is agitated with rotating dowels and filtered. The device maintains a sterile environment.
Various food blenders are also known in the art. For example, the Toastmaster Chopster Mini Food Chopper has a rotating shaft that holds a blade for chopping food into small pieces. This small food processor would not be suitable for reducing tissue to a single cell suspension while maintaining cell viability and sterility of the sample.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,784 to Moreton, issued Feb. 17, 1976, discloses a blender including a rotatable impeller having blades projecting radially outward. The impeller blades operate in cooperation with stationary blades mounted on the inner surface of the blending bowl that project radially inward. The blender is useful for mixing liquids and/or powders; it would not be suitable for reducing tissue to a single cell suspension while maintaining cell viability and sterility of the sample.